1. Field of the Invention
The invention is related to the field of communications, and in particular, to technology for reducing the usage of access links to a core network.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Most communication networks that serve residential end-users can be viewed as a core communication network that is connected to the residential end-users over access links. In one example of such network, the core communication network is the Internet and the access links are wireless links to an Internet portal. To access the Internet, the residential end-users operate wireless transceivers to communicate over wireless access links.
These access links often form a bandwidth bottleneck on communications between the residential end-users. Thus, the bandwidth on the access connections is typically much lower than that available in the core communication network. If the access links operate as a shared medium among multiple residential end-users, then the bandwidth bottleneck can be especially severe during periods of heavy usage. The unfortunate result is diminished communication services to all residential end-users who share the access links.
File sharing protocols are becoming popular among residential end-users. Some examples of these end-user file sharing protocols are Napster and Gnutella. These file sharing protocols allow residential end-users to become content hosts that serve up content files, such as songs and movies, over the Internet. The file sharing protocols allow others around the world to locate and download a desired song or movie from a specific residential end-user.
Unfortunately, the residential end-users transfer their content files over their access links to the core communication network. Typically, the transfer of content files requires significant bandwidth. The transfer of content files over the access links degrades communication services to all who share the access links. When a residential end-user hosts a popular content file, communication services can be seriously degraded.